The So You Think You Can Dance alum and Ellen DeGeneres Show DJ and co-host passed away on Dec. 13 at the age of 40.
Stephen ‘tWitch’ Boss, the entertainer who graced television screens for decades, passed away on Wednesday in Los Angeles. Reports indicate that he died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
His wife of nine years, Allison Holker Boss, confirmed the news of his passing in a statement.
“It is with the heaviest of hearts that I have to share my husband Stephen has left us,” Holker Boss said via CNN. “Stephen lit up every room he stepped into. He valued family, friends and community above all else and leading with love and light was everything to him. He was the backbone of our family, the best husband and father, and an inspiration to his fans.
“To say he left a legacy would be an understatement, and his positive impact will continue to be felt. I am certain there won’t be a day that goes by that we won’t honor his memory. We ask for privacy during this difficult time for myself and especially for our three children. Stephen, we love you, we miss you, and I will always save the last dance for you.”
Fans were introduced to the 40-year-old multihyphenate when he competed on Season 4 of the Fox competition show So You Think You Can Dance. He was a runner-up in the program, losing out to Joshua Allen. Though a trained hip-hop dancer, it was Boss’s contemporary dance with Katie Sheen choreographed by Mia Michaels that earned him deserved celebrity and an Emmy award nomination for best choreography. After stints as an All-Star in future seasons — where he and Allison first met — Boss became a permanent judge for the franchise’s 17th season in 2022.
Boss’s impact in media didn’t stop at dance. In 2014, he joined The Ellen DeGeneres Show as a DJ, remaining a permanent fixture on the program until its end earlier this year. On occasion, he would also serve as guest host. Other entertainment credits include a cameo on ABC’s Modern Family, Freeform’s Young and Hungry. His final role was as a father in the Disney+ special The Hip Hop Nutcracker, which premiered on Nov. 25.
Boss his two children with Holker Boss, Maddox and Zaia. He adopted Holker Boss’s 14-year-old daughter, Weslie Renae, from a previous relationship.
Born in Montgomery, Alabama, Boss earned the nickname ‘tWitch’ because he could not sit still as a child. He studied dance performance at Southern Union State Community College in his home state, as well as at Chapman University in California. Raised by a single mother, he opened up about how having an estranged father impacted him on Lewis Howes’ podcast six years ago.
“I have always been that type ‘Don’t tell me what I won’t do,'” Boss said. “I remember talking to [my father] outside of his work in the parking lot and telling him ‘Hey, I’m joining the dance team. I’m going to need some shows and some money to get supplies’ and he went on this tangent…I was like ‘Oh, that means I’m really supposed to do this, then.'”
He did it, and following his dream brought him not just a career, but a family.
Stephen ‘tWitch’ Boss will be missed.
If you or someone you know is experiencing mental health distress, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 (TALK).
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